5 things we learned from Northwestern's 35-27 loss to Michigan State

Adonis Smith needs to run the football

Wildcats have been their own worst enemy

October 24, 2010|By Teddy Greenstein | ON COLLEGES, ON GOLF

Five things we learned from Northwestern's 35-27 loss to Michigan State:

1. Adonis Smith needs to run the football. The loquacious freshman showed patience and elusiveness on several runs and toughness by not coughing up the ball after big hits. And his brashness is refreshing. "I'm getting to feel like it's my offense," he said after carrying 10 times for 44 yards.

It's hard to imagine Jacob Schmidt remaining in the rotation after fumbling near the goal line and injuring his right ankle. That leaves the load to Smith and redshirt freshman Mike Trumpy, who churned out 50 yards on 10 carries.

Coach Pat Fitzgerald said there was no magic to NU's improved running game: "You guys were asking me: How many new plays, what new wrinkles (during the bye week)? I hate to disappoint you, but they were the same plays. We just executed a little better."

2. The Wildcats have been their own worst enemy. For the sixth consecutive game, Northwestern committed more penalties than its opponent. The real stinger came with less than two minutes to play, when left tackle Al Netter got a 15-yard personal foul for getting his left hand under the chin of end Colin Neely and not letting go until Neely's helmet came off.

"We have to be more disciplined," Fitzgerald said. "I don't know what the issue is right now, but I'm going to fix it. If it's personnel-based, I'm going to fix it. We had issues happen out there (not only) from penalties and self-inflicted wounds but from guys really not executing well."

3. Northwestern wasted a great pep talk. Legendary coach Ara Parseghian told the players at their Friday walk-through how Michigan coach Bennie Oosterbaan once had whispered to him: "You know why Northwestern will never, ever beat Michigan? Because you have no tradition."

Parseghian relayed that to his 1958 NU team, telling the players, "So if you want to take the week off, that's OK." Instead Northwestern pounded the heavily favored Wolverines 55-24.

"You talk about emotion in a game," Parseghian said. "That was the supreme of it all."

Smith called Parseghian's talk "very powerful." But the Wildcats, for the second straight game, blew a fourth-quarter lead at home.

4. Dan Persa can't survive if he keeps scrambling this much. NU's quarterback is cowboy-tough, but he scrambled some 12 times and Michigan State was credited with eight sacks. Persa said he needs to get rid of the ball more quickly and Fitzgerald added: "There were some times we thought we had some (receivers) open and maybe they had someone crossing his face. Other times there were enormous rush lanes, and I thought he made some good decisions (to scramble)."

5. Some creativity would be nice. Michigan State won because of a fake punt. Same for Wisconsin. Missouri ran a hook-and-ladder play in beating Oklahoma. Why is Northwestern so conservative?

The Wildcats used freshman Venric Mark on an end-around in the second quarter and the play generated 29 yards, their longest rush of the season. Other then kick returns, Mark touched the ball exactly zero times the rest of the games.